Bombay High Court: Government must follow earlier order on use of Girgaum beach

Girgaum chowpatty. File Pic

The Bombay High Court today said the Maharashtra government must adhere to a previous high court order mandating that Girgaum chowpatty area be used only for three public events- the Ramleela and Krishnaleela, the Ganesh and Durga idol immersion, and Chirstmas.

The high court bench of justices A S Oka and P N Deshmukh was referring to the incident of fire at a 'Make in India' event held at Girgaum beach here in February 2016. The bench said it will pass a detailed order next week while reiterating that the Girgaum chowpatty area be used only for the above events and that all recommendations of the court-appointed committee that regulates activities along the Girgaum chwopatty area be followed.

The bench was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL), which highlighted that the iconic beach was facing the threat of soil erosion. The Maharashtra government also filed a report in the HC today confirming that the beach was facing the problem of soil erosion. The government told the high court that a joint inspection conducted on February 15 this year by the city collector's office and the Public Works Department (PWD) had found that soil erosion had been taking place along the Girgaum beach in the city.

The state said that it was looking into engaging the Central Water Power Research Station in Pune to identify the reasons for the soil erosion. The state submitted that it will take at least a year's time to fix the problem and restore the damage already caused by such soil erosion.

To this, the bench said that the state must also ensure that no encroachments or illegal activities are allowed in the area. "This prompts us to reiterate that the chowpatty beach area must only be used for the three events as mentioned in our January 2016 order," the bench said.

On January 28, 2016, another bench led by Justice Oka had refused permission to the state government to host a mega event at Girgaum chowpatty as part of the 'Make in India' Week in February that year. However, the Supreme Court had eventually allowed the event. However, on the night of the event, a major fire broke out near the stage on which a cultural dance performance was going on.

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